The Spurs playing Harrison Barnes over Carter Bryant isn't without risk

The San Antonio Spurs' rotation is still in flux, and Coach Mitch Johnson's recent decision to play Harrison Barnes over Carter Bryant is just the latest move. Johnson clearly believes in Bryant, as evidenced by giving him steady minutes last season, even when he struggled.

Nevertheless, Bryant recently collected his first DNP of the season while Barnes is suddenly back in the rotation. Johnson playing Barnes over Bryant is a curious decision, though not entirely unsurprising.

Johnson has proven time and time again that he values spacing, and Barnes is arguably the team's best shooter. Bryant can potentially fill a more valuable role as a three-and-D wing, but he's struggled out of the gate this season. That has opened the door for Barnes.

Harrison Barnes has re-emerged as a rotation player

Barnes has reemerged as a rotation player, which is all the more surprising considering he wasn't expected to return this season. However, San Antonio brought him back on a one-year deal.

Given San Antonio's struggles shooting the ball this season, ranking just 17th in 3-point percentage in their first 10 games, Johnson dusting off Barnes is understandable. In fact, he has played surprisingly well this season.

Barnes is averaging a solid 5.7 points and shooting 37.0% from three on 3.0 3-point attempts in just 13.7 minutes per game.

He's no longer a high-level starter, but he has more left in the tank than expected, and Johnson clearly values his shooting. Of course, benching Bryant could hamper his development, and that could hurt the Spurs long-term.

The Spurs playing Barnes over Carter Bryant isn't without risk

Barnes is more of a short-term solution to the Spurs' problems. They need more shooting, so they play their best shooter, but once Tobias Harris makes his Spurs debut, Barnes' role may diminish.

That doesn't help Bryant, however. The Spurs opting to start Devin Vassell at the four has created a logjam at forward, with Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Barnes, Bryant, and Harris all coming off the bench.

Something's gotta give. Bryant will still get opportunities to play. But with the bench jam-packed with forwards, it's no longer a guarantee that he will play every game. Still, the Spurs should hope that Bryant can make a big leap this season.

They could use a second lockdown defender on the wing, and Bryant is the most likely candidate. His play thus far doesn't suggest he's ready to make that leap, so Coach Johnson going back to Barnes, who is a reliable bench option, makes sense in theory. However, the Spurs still need Bryant to deliver this season.

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